Catamount Times
February, 2016
Health and Wellness
with Ms. Hornblas
Ms. Hornblas is the Pre-K through
8th grade health teacher. She went to
an arts high school and instead of
gym, she had dance class. She attended Goddard College in Plainfield,
Vermont and has a bachelor‘s degree
in teaching and a minor in dance.
When she was in high school, Ms.
Hornblas wanted to be a high school
English teacher. But then she went to
college and fell in love with healing
arts. She took a class in her first semest er of college called ―Health and
Healing in Diverse Cultures.‖
Ms. Hornblas spent the next 20
years studying and working in health
fields. By the time she had finished,
she had enough experience to get her
teaching license. In five years, she
hopes to still be teaching health.
She recently got the entire collection of Mark Twain‘s books and started reading them. She listens to rockand-roll and likes to sing along to the
songs she grew up with, and her favorite food is currently a walnut salad.
By Lily S.
Catamount Staff Reporter
Discover the History of St. J at the History and Heritage Center
The St. Johnsbury History and
Heritage Center opened last fall on
Summer St., and the 6th-grade Trailblazers went there last month. The
center has many cool artifacts, including items like Fairbanks scales that
were made a long time ago.
Dr. Toll, a well-known pediatrician
in St. J, donated some scales that he
has had for a long time. There are
also war artifacts, knives and pins.
The upstairs is not finished yet, but it‘s
being used to store some of the exhibits. We were able to look at the carriage barn, which has not been finished yet. There will be old-fashioned
sleighs, an ice-cutting exhibit and a
big toboggan. We were told that St.
Johnsbury Academy students had
installed the lights in the barn.
The 6th-graders will be doing a
project on the center. Everyone will
pick three subcategories and will then
add some details about these categories. Some of the categories include
how St. Johnsbury has changed over
time, trucking, world wars and much
more. We will be starting our projects
soon and are excited to learn about
even more St. Johnsbury artifacts.
By Natalie E. and Morgan C.
Catamount Staff Reporters
The St. Johnsbury History and Heritage Center, located at 421 Summer St., opened last
fall and has over 5,000 artifacts. Its mission is to preserve and protect our local history.
As a Vermonter, I appreciate the History and Heritage
Center because it tells us the history of St. Johnsbury.
This is important because it lets us see our past like a time
machine, and helps us understand how unique our town is.
On Jan. 11, the 6th-grade Trailblazers team visited the St. Johnsbury
History and Heritage Center on Summer St. The weather was snowy and
the ground was slippery. When we
arrived, Peggy Pearl, a local historian
who founded the center, greeted us
as went to the carriage barn, which
was warm and cozy.
She told us that the barn will have
some old-fashioned sleds and some
old Fairbanks scales. After that, we
went into the main part of the center,
which looks like a house. We saw
many interesting artifacts, including
Civil War guns and weapons, clothing
and uniforms, and a very old saddle.
We talked about what life in St.
Johnsbury was like a long time ago. I
liked the picture of Patty Flint, a World
War II soldier who was actually born
right on Summer St.
I have an idea for a possible exhibition at the center. St. Johnsbury is
loved by many people because it‘s
their home. Among them are many
immigrants from different parts of the
world, who have their own unique cul-
Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very
important figure in the Civil Rights
movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
He led the 381-day Montgomery bus
boycott and rallied many civil rights
―freedom fighters‖ with his famous ―I
have a dream‖ speech at the March
on Washington in 1963.
He practiced and preached nonviolent protesting, and his message
helped to pass the Civil Rights Acts of
1964 and 1968, and the Voting Rights
Act. He was considered one of the
preeminent figures of the Civil Rights
movement. A day named in his honor,
the third Monday of January, was
made an official holiday when it was
signed into law by President Reagan
in 1983. The holiday aims to celebrate
his life and his work, and to promote a
day of public service in his honor.
By Cybele Hantman
Catamount Times Editor
4
tural heritage. All people who come
from a different country should donate
something to the center that represents their valuable cultural traditions,
like a Russian matryoshka doll, created and designed by famous Russian
artists for children‘s education.
My mom paints matryoshka dolls
and that‘s why I know a lot about
them. I told my parents about my idea
of an exchange of cultural traditions
for the center, and my mom is ready
to donate her best matryoshka to the
center.
As a Vermonter, I appreciate the
History and Heritage Center because
it tells us the history of St. Johnsbury.
This is important because it lets us
see our past like a time machine, and
helps us understand how unique our
town is. We all need to donate to the
center, which will hold on to your donation – which might someday be an
ancient artifact, thanks to you.
By Sergei S.
Catamount Staff Reporter